The Influence of Parenting Styles on Adolescent Development

Abstract

If we talk about parenting, it can be said that there is a great diversity among families, due to the fact that cultural aspects have a major impact on how children are raised. Several researchers have analysed over time the relationship between parenting styles and various developmental disorders of adolescents, but also the relationship between parenting styles and children’s school results were considered. Many of these researches drew attention to the fact that there are consequences that affect public health, namely the health status of adolescents (Lahey, 2009). A large part of the research looks at the four parenting styles described by Carlson, Laczniak Wertley (2011) based on the research of Baumrind (1991). They created a matrix with 2 x 2 axis, in which permissiveness and restrictiveness are on the vertical axis, and warmth and hostility on the horizontal axis. Between these two axes are located the four parenting styles: authoritarian, authoritative or democratic, indulgent or permissive and neglectful. This article analyses the characteristics of the four parenting styles and how they influence the child’s development. Parental control, children’s responsibility, parental warmth, parental responsiveness are just some of the factors that have been examined in relation to the development of children’s autonomy in general and in adolescent’s autonomy in particular, school results, socialization, including social behaviour of adolescents as well as consumers in the marketplace.